In general, there is a lack of awareness as to how quickly the temperature can rise in a closed vehicle, or even in a vehicle in which the windows have been left slightly ajar. For example, on a day with an ambient temperature of 84° F., the temperature within the passenger cabin of a car can reach 104° F. in just 10 minutes. Even at a relatively cool outside temperature of 74° F., a vehicle's interior temperature can reach 104° F. in 20 minutes. As a result of these temperatures, a child or a pet left in an unattended vehicle for even a short period of time can suffer from heat stroke related symptoms, and in those cases in which relief is not provided immediately, the child or pet is likely to die from heat stroke. In the United States, heat stroke is the third most common non-traffic, motor-vehicle-related fatality scenario for children 14 and younger, on average accounting for 37 fatalities every year. Of these fatalities, 53.9% of the children were “forgotten” by caregivers, 28.6% of the children were playing in an unattended vehicle, and 16.8% of the children were intentionally left in a vehicle by an adult. Additionally, it is estimated that hundreds of pets die each year from heat stroke when left unattended in a car.
To combat this problem, communities and governmental agencies have implemented a variety of outreach programs. The intent of these programs is to educate the public as to the dangers of leaving a child or a pet unattended in a vehicle for even a short period of time. While these public awareness programs have proven helpful, the significant number of both child and pet fatalities that continue to occur demonstrate the need for additional remedies, in particular remedies that can be used to reliably detect the presence of a child, or pet, left unattended in a parked car and then take appropriate action when such a situation is detected. The present invention provides a solution to this problem, both in terms of a detection system and a methodology.